Child and adolescent psychiatry in Sweden – from yesterday until today

Abstract

In Sweden, child and adolescent psychiatry developed from various fields of science, including pediatrics, pedagogics, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and social welfare. The history is almost 100 years old, and there is a strong relationship to pediatrics. In 1951, it became a medical discipline of its own, and was, in 1956, an independent section within the Swedish Society of Medicine. In 1958 the first university chair in this field was located at the Karolinska Institute; today there are four chairs and increasing research. So far, 33 doctoral theses have been defended, some of which have international standing. By inheritance' from pediatrics, there has been a special interest in developing longitudinal prospective methods, using multidisciplinary cooperation and observation periods covering 10, 20, or 30 years. In May 1993, the Berzelius Symposium XXVI on “Mental and psychosocial adaptation in children – a longitudinal and prospective apporach” was arranged by the Swedish Society of Medicine to f...